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Pitch

Fall TV Premiere Season is nothing short of a madhouse; a wild rush of brand new shows getting sampled, evaluated, and in many case tossed overboard with a frightening quickness. And most of those early opinions are based on pilot episodes, the often unwieldy first efforts that have way too much to do in the way of introducing the concept of the show to be all that good at being what the show is trying to do. Which is why it’s usually good to wait that extra week or two before stepping back and looking at the new falls shows. A few of them crash and burn right out of the gate. Others are quick successes. Some struggle but deserve our consideration.

The following five shows are the new network series that have announced themselves as essential this season. They’re either big ratings hits or big critical faves or in a few cases, both. And if you haven’t had a second to check them out, we’ve got links to where you can stream them. Do this new fall season right.

'The Good Place' (NBC)

The new series from Parks and Recreation creator Michael Schur has been a major cause celebre among comedy people, in part because of its all-star cast both in front of and behind the camera. Actors like Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, writers like Joe Mande and Megan Amram, producers like Drew Goddard — everybody’s got somebody to root for. Good thing the show has been funny, clever, and utterly unique in a TV landscape that tends to cluster around a few weathered types. Bell plays a women who has died and gone to … well, not “heaven” in so many words, but it’s The Good Place, a paradise exclusively for those who were the kindest, most generous souls on Earth. As opposed to The Bad Place, which is where mostly everyone else goes. The snag is that Bell isn’t supposed to be in the Good Place. And she needs to figure out how to stay before her presence ruins the Good Place forever.

Episodes Aired:

1.01/1.02 – “Pilot” / “Flying” [stream on Hulu]
1.03 – “Tahani Al-Jamil” [stream on Hulu]
1.04 – “Jason Mendoza” [stream on Hulu]

'Speechless' (ABC)

ABC continues their incredibly impressive run of great family sitcoms with Speechless, which is about a family that can never seem to stay in the same place for too long, mostly because the strong-willed mom (Minnie Driver) is relentless in pursuing the right environment for her eldest son, J.J., who has cerebral palsy. ABC has already picked up the show for a full first season, so it’s looking good that Speechless will be able to explore its family dynamics, which through two episodes has been disarmingly funny with moments of heart that are well-earned. Minnie Driver was made to headline a comedy like this.

Episodes Aired:

1.01 – “P-I-PILOT” [stream on Hulu]
1.02 – “N-E-NEW A-I-AIDE” [stream on Hulu]

'Bull' (CBS)

It can’t come as a surprise to anyone that the new show from NCIS star Michael Weatherly would be a hit with the same CBS audience that kept his previous show at the top of the ratings, year-in and year-out. And so we have a hit show on our hands that’s based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw. Brave new world in 2016. Weatherly plays a hotshot jury consultant, and do you really need to know more? This is a show that rests on the shoulders of its lead, and the CBS audience knows what it likes.

Episodes Aired:

1.01 – “The Necklace” [stream on CBS]
1.02 – “The Woman in 8D” [stream on CBS]

'Pitch' (FOX)

She’s a GIRL and she’s playing BASEBALL?? All credit for FOX’s new drama series for transcending just that kind of cheap incredulity. The show isn’t perfect — it’s got a speechifying streak that would leave Aaron Sorkin trembling, for one thing — but after two episodes, it’s engrossing, with a strong central performance from Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker, the first female player in Major League Baseball history, and two particularly intriguing supporting performances: Mark-Paul Gosselaar (yes!) as a cocky catcher and Ali Larter playing Ginny’s agent with the kind of showboaty verve that straddles the line between great and terrible in a thrilling battle to the death. It’s an interesting show, but it’s not a particularly well-attended one. If Bull is the show you should watch because everybody else is, Pitch is the show you should watch so that it won’t get taken away too soon.

Episodes Aired:

1.01 – “Pilot” [stream on Hulu]
1.02 – “The Interim” [stream on Hulu]

'This Is Us' (NBC)

I haven’t watched This Is Us yet, but many people have, including Decider’s own Josh Sorokach, and he gave me this testimonial to share:

“If you’re looking to fill that Parenthood-shaped hole in your viewing schedule, NBC has got you covered with its endearing new series This is Us. Ostensibly about a group of people with the same birthday, the pilot episode ended with an incredible twist that altered the shape of the series. How did the show deal with the shocking events of the pilot in episode two? With yet another twist! Sterling K. Brown is sensational, Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore have chemistry to spare, and, well, I can’t say much more without completely spoiling the series. Watch it now and thank me later.”

Episodes Aired:

1.01 – “Series Premiere” [stream on Hulu]
1.02 – “The Big Three” [stream on Hulu]